Cities of Service

Founded in New York City on September 10, 2009, Cities of Service is a bi-partisan coalition of mayors of large and small cities from across the country who have responded to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's call to action by working together to find new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteerism to solve our nation's most pressing challenges. All coalition members have signed the Declaration of Service, committing to work together to lead a multiyear effort to expand community service and volunteerism by:

·Developing a comprehensive service plan and a coordinated strategy focused on matching volunteers and established community partners to the areas of greatest local need;

·Working with other mayors and elected officials to advance strategies and best practices that accelerate the service movement and produce measurable results;

·Encouraging other mayors to join this national effort to engage our citizens; and

·Ensuring that the voice of cites is heard in federal legislative, policy and program discussions related to service, which will help the country achieve the ambitious goals of the Serve America Act.

Cities of Service Leadership GrantsThe coalition is now accepting applications for its second round of $200,000 grants, jointly funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The grants allow each recipient city to hire a Chief Service Officer, a senior city official dedicated to developing and implementing a citywide service plan. To be considered for the grants, a city's mayor must be a member of the Cities of Service coalition. Applicant cities must also have at least 100,000 residents according to the U.S. Census 2008 population estimate and be home to at least one college or university. Applications are due by April 9, 2010.